Now i know the 3.5L v6 6VE1 from the '99-on troopers is not a a vintage engine, but us isuzu fans are rare, i love this engine in my '99 trooper. has anyone ever done any hot rodding or motor swaps with this awesome v6? im trying to do as much research on them before i get one for another engine swap project.

Last edited by vwdmc16 on Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yeah, they did come in RWD in the Rodeo. From memory the 4Z series engines have the same bellhousing. Ive thought about it for ages in a gemini, think its a really tight squeeze tho.

What sort of things do u want to know dude? Havent seen many done up although ive got a magazine article on one somewhere. 96 Rodeo [isuzu p'up to you] with a 6VD1 and a Vortech, think it was over 400rwkw and ran high 10's at a stupid MPH on relatively stock internals.

i want to know of any known porblems with them when put to higher than normal hp and use, internal harward failure points etc. i know all about the siezing and oil consumtion, mine uses about 2 qts between oil changes, but isnt bad otherwise.

im looking for custom intake, exhaust ideas, transmission swaps too. ive looked through the 2000 page online PDF manual, there was a 5 speed manual avalible ( non US) 2wd in the short wheelbase trooper and other models. it was called the 5t i think.

Siezing had to do with the "early" engines in America-only, something to do with the piston design right?

The trans the american RWD's used is the T5, same as what was used in some Fords just with a different bellhousing. "Apparently" though, one of the guys on ozgemini was researching the bellhousing adapters and what not - if you can find a T5, theres a chance you can adapt a T56 to it. Not sure how that helps you seeing as i think the delorean uses a transaxle?

As for the Direct Injection V6, we never got it down here however ive heard their pretty damn good. As far as which one to modify, id go the regular model. Problem with the DI is you havent got many options if, say, you end up needing bigger injectors. Fuel system has to be made out of steel lines due to the fact DI runs on high pressure.

Strengths and weakness's depends on what you plan on doing with the engine dude. Forced or na?

True, like i said i would rather go DI, but i know nothing about how isuzu packages it, what extra ecus id need, etc. a regular injection would be much simpler. i would want to go turbo too, but that is a whole extra bunch of work,i always work in phases, turbo would be one of the last.

Yes the delorean has a Renault transaxle, the UN1 an adaptor would have to be made or i was thinking to do a simular job of what one D owner did to install a toyota 2JZ heres the link to that build the 2jz comes in at page 27.

he ended up cutting the tranny flange off his UN1 and welded on a replacement from a Supra's auto trans to. of course a custom machined flywheel and modifed pressure plate had to be made, i have access to such machinery too. also he moved the trtans axle forward 2" to fit the long straight six. lucky i wont have to, the isuzu v6 is actually smaller in all dimensons than the Renault PRV

Depends how wild you go dude. If your going to rebuild the engine it would be good insurance to put forgies in it seeing as you *might* go turbo later. Not sure how good the rods are on these things, but i know all early model Isuzu engines ran forged steel for both the rods and crank. The crank on the 6VD1 i mentioned above was standard so no strength issues there.

With the rods, get them shotpeened and they should be plenty strong.

Personally, if i were you [and im not] id go ITB's on it, would sound mental.

If there is not much information about Isuzu cars and engines in general, there is significantly less about the 6VE1 engine. The 3.5 liter with highest power rating was pretty much limited to the Axiom, a very rare vehicle to begin with. And it was on the Cash for Clunkers list, which listed several killed, leaving even fewer remaining. These engines used from a salvage yard seemed to start around $6,000 USD and less than four to choose from at any time. That's about ten times a four cylinder out of one of the cars.

But it is rated in the Isuzu Sports book/magazine from Neko Publishing as number four in the top five list of Isuzu engines. Contrasting this, none of the rest of the entire book deals with trucks or SUVs, the vehicles this engine came in.

It is described as a compact V6 and the display engine from the auto shows showed the block was shorter than the FF four cylinder and almost as narrow as the FF DOHC engine with intake and exhaust manifolds attached.

Based on the description and specs, it sounds like Isuzu's version of the Nissan VQ35DE engine from the Nissan Z33 or Fairlady, except Isuzu meets Nissan's variable valve timing and raises the ante with direct injection and the higher compression ratio possible with direct injection.

Potential difficulties would be:
Retuning from low speed grunt needed in a truck, to high RPM and free revving needed for a sporty car.
Controlling the variable valve timing, which is almost certainly related to the very expensive Cadillac variable valve timing system.
Lack of a range of fuel injector sizes because direct injection is new and because it is likely that no one else uses an injector of similar shape and physical dimension as the Isuzu injector.
Tech data and wiring harness diagrams from the even rarer shop manual, if even included in the shop manual.
Near certainty that everything involving the engine will be uncharted waters that no one else has done before.
OEM parts may already be discontinued, aftermarket stock replacement parts may not exist, and anything performance would be custom made.

yeah so GDI is off the books, i did find a factory 2004 isuzu service and update manual that was to teach technicans about the new GDI engine, its $70, i dont think ill get it unless i can even find one of those engines and a parts source.

it really sucks how GM had 49% say in isuzu then they pulled out of the US market. all gm wanted was the name

on another note, ive heard all the internals are forged factory, anyone heard othwise?

it really sucks how GM had 49% say in isuzu then they pulled out of the US market.

It's a knife that cuts both ways.
The good side is that GM Electronics are so common that you can go into any parts store in the country and buy them.
The bad side is that GM electronics fail so often that you will have to make many, many trips to the parts store to replace all those electronics pices on a regularly repeating basis.

But at least with the GM stuff, there is potential for a range of sizes being available to tune for your use. The uniquely Isuzu stuff is better quality, but it's original or not at all, and only when original is still available.

my electronics have help up ok, only real repairs since new, im the original owner, is the starter died, radiator poped, the diff needs tightening and now the EGR valve has failed. not bad for 11 years and 122k miles

so i went to the junkyard searching for a EGR valve, found none, but i did find a '96 trooper with a manual trans... ive always wished the trooper had a stick. but i doubt every little part i need is there, and how impossible it would be to find whats missing.

now that i think of it, that could work nicely for my trans adaptor to go in the delorean